Archive for the ‘Media Releases’ Category

The search is on for Sydney’s best businesses The City of Sydney Business Awards, an event that recognises outstanding and successful small to medium sized enterprises (SME) in the city’s Local Government Area, are on again for 2010. Nominations are open from 16 June to 30 July 2010, and over 20,000 independent SME businesses from 32 suburbs will be eligible to enter the competition.

The City of Sydney Business Awards celebrate the best small businesses in the City of Sydney Area. Its 21 categories include cafes and restaurants, retail beauty, healthcare and fitness, specialty retail, tourism, IT, Education and Environmental Businesses, which will share in $25,000 of prizes.

Launching the Business Awards, Lord Mayor Clover Moore said “There are more than 20,000 small and medium businesses across the inner city who are the heart of our local villages driving economic growth, employment and connecting communities.”

“The awards acknowledge business leadership in sustainability, fair trade and social responsibility and complement our Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan. I encourage all local businesses to enter.”

“The fate of more than 600 businesses will be put into the hands of local residents and shoppers to tell us their favourite businesses and start voting,” she said.

Sydney’s best bike business will be recognised for the first time this year. The new bicycle business category acknowledges the increasing number of manufacturers, distributors and retailers of bicycles and their accessories in the Local Government Area. The winner will be awarded a $2,000 business coaching prize provided by the City of Sydney.

The 2009 Winner – Business of the Year Michael Kitchener said that he entered the Business Awards to do a check of the health of his business.

“I thought we were doing everything well and it is a great way to get a second opinion. Winning was fantastic for staff morale, all their hard work was recognised. It has created a point of difference between the company and our competitors.”

Eligible businesses include those employing less than 200 full-time employees within the City of Sydney Local Government Area. More than 600 businesses were nominated in 2009 attracting more than 35,000 votes.

The City of Sydney Business Awards are produced with the support of ANZ, the Principal Sponsor, major sponsors EnergyAustralia, Defense Reserves Support and YellowPages, and sponsors, Hayes Knight, TAFE NSW Sydney Institute, NSW Department of Industry and Investment, and Central Magazine.

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Finalists are eligible for the Lord Mayor’s Sustainable Business prize sponsored by EnergyAustralia and the Small Business of the Year and Business of the Year awards.

A range of leading Australian businesses have announced Big Swaps to fair trade products as part of Fair Trade Fortnight (1-16 May) – Australia’s biggest annual celebration of the life-changing difference fair trade makes for millions of developing country farmers, their families and communities.

As part of the Fortnight’s launch in Sydney on 30 April, two of Australia’s leading national law firms, Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Allens Arthur Robinson, were awarded Fair Trade Workplace status for committing to source Fairtrade Certified hot beverages across all of their offices.

Leading supermarket chain Coles announced that a range of its new private label Fairtrade Certified coffee and tea products would soon hit shelves across the country.

Steve Knapp, Executive Director of the Fair Trade Association Australia & New Zealand (FTAANZ) said Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Allens Arthur Robinson were the first national law firms to make such strong, company-wide commitments aimed at empowering developing country farmers and their communities.

“Recognition as a Fair Trade Workplace will enable both firms to communicate to staff and clients the kind of values they wish to incorporate into their business and workplace,” he said.

Fairtrade Certified products will now be served throughout the meeting rooms, tea rooms and cafeterias of both firms.

Mallesons Stephen Jaques have already switched to Fairtrade Certified tea from Oxfam and are now to start serving Fairtrade Certified coffee and drinking chocolate from Republica; while Allens Arthur Robinson will use Fairtrade Certified tea, coffee, drinking chocolate and sugar sticks sourced from a range of suppliers including Bean Ground & Drunk, Bercat, Nestle, Jasper Coffee, Scarborough Fair, and Tradewinds.

“These two firms join a growing list of Australian businesses of all sizes making the swap to fair trade and making a big difference to the lives of farmers, producers, their families and communities in developing countries around the globe,” Mr Knapp said.

“The Big Swap announcements from two of Australia’s leading businesses, Coles and Wild Bean Café, also make it easier for every Australian to swap their everyday hot beverages to fair trade ones – whether at home or on the go,” he said.

“The new Coles Fairtrade Certified coffee and tea products significantly expand the range of Fairtrade Certified options available in the hot beverages aisle of supermarkets, making it an even simpler choice for people to swap to fair trade and enjoy a world changing cuppa at home with friends and family.

“Meanwhile the commitment by Wild Bean Café (BP’s coffee retail stores) to add 100% Fairtrade Certified hot chocolate to the menu of their over 100 outlets nationwide later this year, in addition to the 100% Fairtrade Certified espresso coffee they already serve, is a major boost for Aussies looking for a fair trade hot beverage option no matter if they’re travelling across town or across the country,” Mr Knapp said.

For more on how organisations and businesses can make the swap to fair trade and contribute to tackling poverty and empowering farmers and workers in developing countries through workplace purchasing go to www.fairtrade.com.au

– This Fair Trade Fortnight, Aussies across the country are being urged to make The Big Swap! Making the swap from your usual products to Fairtrade Certified ones is simple but it can help make a big difference to the lives of developing country farmers – giving them access to fair prices and money to invest in everyday things for their communities such as education and healthcare. It also promotes sustainable farming practices.

– This Fair Trade Fortnight, whether it’s your daily caffeine fix, afternoon cuppa, chocolate treat or the Mother’s Day gift you give – make the swap to fair trade and help create a better and brighter future for farmers and their families across the globe.

The shores of the Indian Ocean in eastern Africa are littered with debris from as far away as China, Japan,and Malaysia. Thousands of brightly coloured rubber thong pieces wash ashore daily not only causing an eyesore along the coastlines but endangering the marine eco-system. An initiative by a Kenyan organisation, UniquEco, is designed to clean up the environment by using this waste while also providing employment opportunities to the poor communities hardest hit by this environmental degradation.

UniquEco works with local people to recycle the rubber thongs. Local woman and children comb the shores to collect the indestructible pieces of rubber, artisans and sculptors in the villages glue the pieces together into multicolored blocks then hand carve the blocks into carefully crafted animals, transforming waste into sculptures of amazing humour and beauty.

These ingeniously crafted sculptures are a perfect example of how purchasing p ower can help preserve the environment while at the same time providing employment opportunities to an inspired community half a world away. And they have a unique and exciting piece of art which they will enjoy for years to come! The pieces are imported by Ethical Gifts, a fair trade company that works with artisan groups from around the world.

Press Coverage

• The UniquEco Champali Animal Sculptures have already gained international attention being featured in the summer 2008 issue of O at Home, Oprah’s popular home decor quarterly magazine

• Finalists in the BBC World Challenge 2008

• The NY Times have reported on the severe impact that discarded thongs have on the environment and spotlighted UniquEcos innovative work.

About Ethical Gifts
Ethical Gifts in an online retailer and importer that strives to build partnerships with artists, craftspeople, suppliers, and businesses who create products that promote a healthy environment, social justice and sustainable livinghttp://www.fairtradegifts.com.au

The nation’s favourite chocolate: Now Fairtrade Certified™ and on shelf throughout Australia
Cadbury® Dairy Milk™ milk chocolate, the nation’s favourite chocolate in Australia is now Fairtrade Certified™ and on sale throughout the country.

As the number one selling chocolate block in both Australia and New Zealand, Cadbury Dairy Milk becoming Fairtrade Certified™ is expected to increase Fairtrade chocolate sales by up to 20 fold, and double last year’s total sales of Fairtrade Certified™ products in Australia.

In Ghana, one of the main countries from where Cadbury globally sources its cocoa beans, 45 thousand farmers and their communities have already benefited from Cadbury’s global commitment to Fairtrade, a figure which is expected to increase to up to one million farmers within the next ten years through the work of Fairtrade and the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership.

Fairtrade provides farmers with the security of fair and stable prices for their produce and social premiums for investment in economic and local community development. Fairtrade helps these communities through trade not aid.

“From today, lovers of Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate will be able to make their purchase in the knowledge that they are supporting a brighter future for very small scale cocoa farmers, their families and their villages. This is a real milestone for Fairtrade and for cocoa growers in Ghana. While Fairtrade Certified™ Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate will create a step-change in awareness of Fairtrade in Australia, the real impacts will be in Ghana where it will potentially transform the lives and opportunities for thousands of people in cocoa-growing communities.”

“Cadbury is leading the way, listening to consumers and demonstrating that major chocolate manufacturers can make a real difference by helping to tackle poverty and empowering poor and disadvantaged cocoa farmers. We actively encourage other manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand to follow Cadbury’s lead”

Aussie Olympic hero, Libby Trickett, has joined forces with Fairtrade and Cadbury and is helping educate the nation about the benefits of buying Fairtrade Certified™ products. As a Cadbury Fairtrade ambassador, Libby recently traveled more than 15,000km to Ghana to learn first hand about the difference Fairtrade Certification™ can make.

Speaking about the trip Libby said:

“Experiencing first hand the difference Fairtrade makes was both inspiring and overwhelming. Something as simple as having a well built in a village means for the children of that community, instead of walking for hours every day to collect water, they can go to school. Fairtrade empowers these communities and for the first time they can plan for a future. Choosing which chocolate to treat yourself with has a direct impact on these people’s lives.”

In research released today by Fairtrade Labelling Australia and New Zealand, the Fairtrade movement in Australia is shown to be growing rapidly with awareness and engagement on the rise for the sixth year running.

Sales of Fairtrade Certified™ products have risen by 50 per cent with a 30 per cent increase in Australian businesses now licensed to trade in Fairtrade Certified™ products. This has contributed to 2009 retail sales in Australia exceeding $36 million, up from $23 million in 2008.

Research released by Cadbury shows that three quarters (75 per cent) of Australians polled said they would buy a product which helped to provide clean drinking water, build schools and buy essential farming tools for farmers and workers in developing countries. On understanding more about the positive difference Fairtrade makes, the number of Australians polled who stated they would, or would consider, changing their purchasing decisions jumped to 93 per cent.

Amanda Banfield, Director of Marketing for Cadbury said: “Cadbury has been committed to ethical sourcing for over a century. By securing Fairtrade certification for Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate products, we honour that heritage and are now making it much easier for consumers to choose Fairtrade. They can now enjoy the taste of the Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate they’ve always loved, knowing they are also helping improve the lives of cocoa farming communities in developing countries.”